Today we’d like to introduce you to Atul Varma.
Atul, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my career as an accountant in New York – auditing companies’ books and records. Realizing that being an accountant was not a long-term goal for me, I quickly earned my CPA certification and switched into management consulting to gain more diverse business experience. I was fortunate to work on some really interesting projects, such as helping a power company buy out long-term power purchase agreements to prepare itself for coming deregulation.
I always enjoyed working with numbers so that naturally led to banking, where I led a team that prepared financial plans and management reports for the Board of Directors at a top global bank. At the same time, I pursued an M.B.A. at Columbia University to broaden my management and leadership skills.
Over time, that led to a CFO role at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in Boston, where I had the opportunity to work with the CEO to grow the business and better serve our clients. To further develop my skill set in wealth management, I pursued and completed the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Currently, I lead the business strategy function – a role that I really enjoy because it allows me to take my passion for data and technology and synthesize it into actionable information that create opportunities for growth.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
An immigrant once said, “Before I came to America, I thought the streets were paved in gold. When I came here I learned three things: The streets were not paved in gold, the streets weren’t paved, and that I was expected to pave them.” That saying has stuck with me over the years and helped shape me and my career.
I moved to the U.S. as a teenager and went through a major transition – new culture, language and friends. After I graduated from college, I did not get the coveted start with one of the Big NY-based Accounting firms. Over the years, there were other personal and professional setbacks.
However, I am thankful for those setbacks because those are the moments when I feel I learned the most about myself. While it was not evident in the moment, what I learned at all those points of failure and setbacks was invaluable. I believe failure taught me how to learn and I use those lessons to make myself better every day.
Please tell us about BNY Mellon Wealth Management.
BNY Mellon helps individuals and families achieve their long-term life and financial goals. We spend a lot of time with clients to understand what’s important to them; we then assess their current situation and craft a plan that helps them realize their objectives. If we do our job well, our clients reward us with their trust and stay clients for life.
My role is to help shape the strategy to grow our own business, which is through novel technology, acquisitions of other wealth management firms and entering new markets. Technology is democratizing wealth management by delivering insights and information
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
The wealth management industry is changing rapidly and I am helping BNY Mellon lead that change. We are very excited about the various product lines we currently have and the potential to bring them together to provide a seamless and unique client experience.
But aside from the business, I am even more excited about my role in the Boston community. I serve on the boards of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, The Partnership Inc., and Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Boston. I am also intimately involved with Pratham and Best Buddies International. The Partnership and Pratham are two truly unique nonprofits who are making real change today – The Partnership does so by advancing the race dialog in New England and Pratham is educating children in India who have been left behind by the public school system.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (617)722-3923
- Email: Atul.Varma@BNYMellon.com
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atulvarma/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
